Researcher Studies Seasonal Morphological Variation in Mustelids

Dr. Scott LaPoint

Dr. Scott LaPoint, a postdoctoral researcher from the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology in Germany, visited the UMMZ Mammal Division prior to the holidays. A native of New York state, Scott's research focuses on carnivore movement ecology. His research brought him to the Mammal Division to study seasonal morphological changes in mustelid species, including the ermine (Mustela erminea), long-tailed weasel (Mustela frenata), least weasel (Mustela nivalis), and the American mink (Neovison vison). The Mammal Division contains great holdings of mustelids obtained by previous UMMZ researchers and collaborators over the long history of the collection. Scott will continue to examine museum specimens across the world to complete his dataset.